I apologize if this has been discussed before. I searched and didn't turn up anything.

I'm a life long atheist (48 yrs old) who married and mostly converted an evangelical Christian (long story). We live thousands of miles from family and had begun to feel a desire for community, she in particular having missed the like-mindedness of her church. So we began searching and came upon a "church" (it really needs quotes) here with a huge rainbow flag out front (we're not gay but we figured it's got to be good sign) called the Unitarians.

What we found was a super liberal social-club with a part time minister whose sermons VERY rarely mention God or any sort of divinity at all. Perhaps a quarter of the congregants claim to be atheists, another quarter are humanists, and the remainder are a mix of Christians and Pagans (I need to use that word carefully).

Because I've always been an admitted angry atheist, a part of me is kind of repelled by what I've done. But another part very much enjoys giving of my time and energy to a community that is reflective on the human condition but has no interest in dogma.

It's all too sappy for me personally and I probably have too much bias left over from my Evangelical days, but I do think there have been some folks on here who enjoy it for the very reasons you mention...accepted atheism, a community to belong to, and don't forget the pot-luck dinners.

It was just a fucking apple man, we're sorry okay? Please stop the madness
~Izel

(19-05-2012 10:25 AM)buzzardwhiskey Wrote: I apologize if this has been discussed before. I searched and didn't turn up anything.

I'm a life long atheist (48 yrs old) who married and mostly converted an evangelical Christian (long story). We live thousands of miles from family and had begun to feel a desire for community, she in particular having missed the like-mindedness of her church. So we began searching and came upon a "church" (it really needs quotes) here with a huge rainbow flag out front (we're not gay but we figured it's got to be good sign) called the Unitarians.

What we found was a super liberal social-club with a part time minister whose sermons VERY rarely mention God or any sort of divinity at all. Perhaps a quarter of the congregants claim to be atheists, another quarter are humanists, and the remainder are a mix of Christians and Pagans (I need to use that word carefully).

Because I've always been an admitted angry atheist, a part of me is kind of repelled by what I've done. But another part very much enjoys giving of my time and energy to a community that is reflective on the human condition but has no interest in dogma.

I'm curious if other atheists enjoy this church?

Thanks for your time,
buzzardwhiskey

I think that's a great place for your wife. It gives her the parts that are valuable about belonging to a church without the judgemental atmosphere and bs religious parts. I have only heard good things about it.

Science is the process we've designed to be responsible for generating our best guess as to what the fuck is going on. Girly Man

I have attended various UU Fellowships, at different times and places, and found them to be friendly places to be. Four of them were basically secular humanist congregations, one was Wiccan/Pagan/Heathen oriented, and one was a very diverse group from Christians, Muslims, and Jews, to Wiccan, and atheists. However, it dosen't take long for Sunday services to begin to bore me terribly.........but then, that's just me (I don't like formal rituals).